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Rams News, Rumors, Videos, Schedule, Roster, Salaries And More.Wed, 16 Jan 2019 01:09:31 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.9Rams News: Andrew Whitworth ‘Trying To Win Super Bowl’ After First Playoff Winhttp://ramsnation.com/rams-news-andrew-whitworth-trying-to-win-super-bowl-after-first-playoff-win/2019/01/15/
http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-andrew-whitworth-trying-to-win-super-bowl-after-first-playoff-win/2019/01/15/#respondTue, 15 Jan 2019 17:00:49 +0000http://ramsnation.com/?p=271049The Los Angeles Rams’ win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Round was a bit of a career milestone for many in the franchise, but none were perhaps more well-deserving of the victory than Andrew Whitworth. The 37-year-old had gone 13 years without winning a playoff game after...

]]>The Los Angeles Rams’ win over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Round was a bit of a career milestone for many in the franchise, but none were perhaps more well-deserving of the victory than Andrew Whitworth.

The 37-year-old had gone 13 years without winning a playoff game after spending the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals. This was magnified by the fact that he had been the only player in NFL history to lose all seven of his playoff games prior to the 2018 NFL season.

Whitworth was finally able to put an end to his playoff drought by paving the way for the Rams backfield en route to a historic rushing day. Despite his stellar performance, he knows the job is far from finished.

“It’s great, but you know what, I feel like this team has potential for more than that,” he said after the game. “So it’s a great feeling and I’m happy to have it, but I didn’t try to get to the playoffs to just win a playoff game. I’m trying to win a Super Bowl. That’s the only focus and now we are one step closer.”

Whitworth’s comments should come as no surprise since they are indicative of the team’s expectations. The veteran could have gone to a number of playoff contenders when he became a free agent prior to the 2017 campaign, but he ultimately signed with the upstart Rams because he wanted to ‘build something special’ in the final stretch of his career.

It is safe to say the veteran has helped do just that with the Rams now set to square off against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. Whitworth is just two wins away from achieving his ultimate career goal.

]]>http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-andrew-whitworth-trying-to-win-super-bowl-after-first-playoff-win/2019/01/15/feed/0Rams News: Sean McVay Reveals Initial Thoughts On Playing Saints In NFC Championship Gamehttp://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-reveals-initial-thoughts-on-playing-saints-in-nfc-championship-game/2019/01/14/
http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-reveals-initial-thoughts-on-playing-saints-in-nfc-championship-game/2019/01/14/#respondMon, 14 Jan 2019 18:00:22 +0000http://ramsnation.com/?p=271048Now that the Los Angeles Rams took care of business in the NFC Divisional Round, head coach Sean McVay is officially locked in on facing the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. The Saints were able to pull out a clutch win versus the Philadelphia Eagles and are...

]]>Now that the Los Angeles Rams took care of business in the NFC Divisional Round, head coach Sean McVay is officially locked in on facing the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game.

The Saints were able to pull out a clutch win versus the Philadelphia Eagles and are looking forward to maintaining their home-field advantage on Sunday. McVay is well aware that this will be only one of the few challenges of playing the Saints.

The Rams have emerged as underdogs for the NFC game thanks in large part to their opponent’s dominance throughout the course of the 2018 NFL season. Los Angeles will have their hands full trying to contain a team with very few weaknesses on both sides of the ball.

“I think it’s going to be a great challenge. Obviously, the Saints are a great football team. I think they’re playing really well on all three phases right now. You know how explosive their offense is and then I think their defense is really hitting their stride,” McVay said. “Dennis Allen has done an outstanding job with these guys. They play fast, they all play together, they’re really sound. They mix in pressures. It’s going to be a great challenge, especially just having to deal with that atmosphere and that environment with those fans going crazy. But, we’re certainly excited about another opportunity to go back there and see if we can come away with a win.”

It is easy to see why there is so much intrigue surrounding this matchup between the Rams and Saints. Not only are they two of the more talented rosters in the NFL squaring off but it will also feature a couple of the brightest minds as well in McVay and head coach Sean Payton.

McVay will certainly have his hands full trying to hand Payton his first playoff loss at home with the Saints. Fortunately, the Rams are already somewhat familiar with what to expect after their visit to New Orleans in early November.

]]>http://ramsnation.com/monday-morning-observations-rams-defeat-cowboys-in-2019-nfl-divisional-round-game/2019/01/14/feed/0Rams News: Robert Woods Declares Himself ‘Most Complete All-Around Receiver’http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-robert-woods-declares-himself-most-complete-all-around-receiver/2019/01/12/
http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-robert-woods-declares-himself-most-complete-all-around-receiver/2019/01/12/#respondSat, 12 Jan 2019 18:00:45 +0000http://ramsnation.com/?p=271039Roberts Woods has established himself as one of the more underrated wide receivers in the NFL, but it appears he is ready for a new distinction. There has been plenty of hype surrounding the Rams’ offense over the last two seasons thanks to the arrival of head coach Sean McVay....

]]>Roberts Woods has established himself as one of the more underrated wide receivers in the NFL, but it appears he is ready for a new distinction.

There has been plenty of hype surrounding the Rams’ offense over the last two seasons thanks to the arrival of head coach Sean McVay. Aside from McVay, most of their success is usually attributed to the stars on offense such as Todd Gurley and Jared Goff.

Meanwhile, Woods quietly put together the best season of his career. His numbers this year finally confirm what he has felt for quite some time.

“I feel like I’m truly the most complete all-around receiver who can do it all,” Woods says. “Block a D-end on a toss crack. I can take a bomb on a go ball. I can catch a five-yard option route. I can go across the middle on a dagger. I can read the coverage, read the safeties. I’m all-around. I’m probably the most complete receiver.”

Some may take Woods’ declaration with a grain of salt considering all the other great wideouts in the NFL. Regardless, there is plenty of truth to his comments when looking at the tape.

Woods endured a rough start to his career with the Buffalo Bills as he struggled to find his footing in an offense where the passing game was virtually nonexistent. As a result, the Rams caught a bit of flak when they signed him to a five-year, $34 million deal prior to the 2017 NFL season.

It is safe to say that Woods has given the Rams plenty of bang for their buck after registering 142 receptions for 2,142 yards and 11 touchdowns since then. More importantly, his versatile skill set allows McVay to utilize him anywhere on offense. Woods now has an opportunity to solidify his declaration in the playoffs.

]]>The Los Angeles Rams are expecting Todd Gurley to be a full-go in the NFC Divisional Round versus the Dallas Cowboys, but it appears head coach Sean McVay still plans on utilizing C.J. Anderson.

There has been plenty of speculation regarding Gurley’s potential workload against this formidable Cowboys defense. McVay has indicated that Anderson could still maintain an integral role in the playoffs.

Anderson did a stellar job as the team’s workhorse in place of Gurley in the final two games of the 2018 NFL season. Although Gurley is expected to suit up, he will not fall by the wayside on Saturday night.

“If Todd’s able to go, we want to get him going. But, I think we want to get C.J. as well. So, I think you can expect to see a good balance of both,” McVay said on Tuesday. “Some different things that maybe gets those guys on the field. But, C.J.’s done a great job the last couple weeks, but getting Todd back is definitely a big boost to us as well.”

McVay’s decision is certainly understandable given what Anderson has been able to bring to Los Angeles in Gurley’s absence. He led the NFL with 299 yards in the final two games of the season en route to a 2-0 finish for the Rams.

There is no question that Anderson has made the most of his opportunity after joining Los Angeles late in the season. His recent performance paired with Gurley’s lingering knee injury has given McVay more than enough reasons to get him some touches in the postseason.

Anderson has experienced quite the roller-coaster season thus far, but it seems to finally be coming to fruition. Despite struggling to get on the field throughout the season, he now finds himself with an opportunity to compete in this year’s playoffs.

]]>http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-to-use-good-balance-of-todd-gurley-cj-anderson-vs-cowboys/2019/01/12/feed/0Rams News: Sean McVay Sees Similarities Between Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliotthttp://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-sees-similarities-between-todd-gurley-ezekiel-elliott/2019/01/12/
http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-sees-similarities-between-todd-gurley-ezekiel-elliott/2019/01/12/#respondSat, 12 Jan 2019 16:00:50 +0000http://ramsnation.com/?p=271031The NFC Divisional matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys will feature two of the best running backs in the NFL in Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott. Head coach Sean McVay has helped Gurley become one of the most dynamic players in the league by finding ways to...

]]>The NFC Divisional matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys will feature two of the best running backs in the NFL in Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott.

Head coach Sean McVay has helped Gurley become one of the most dynamic players in the league by finding ways to utilize his full potential. It appears he has noticed head coach Jason Garrett do the same with Elliott during the 2018 NFL season.

Workhorse backs of their caliber are certainly hard to come by the NFL. McVay knows full well that both Gurley and Elliott fit the same mold as an every-down player.

“When you look at Zeke, I think he’s similar to Todd – one of the most complete backs in the league, extremely productive,” McVay said on a conference call Sunday. “I think he’s got the ability to go through you or go around you with speed. He’s gotten a lot more involved in the pass game this year. I think he’s truly a complete back and you could see that a lot of what they do is predicated on just him getting a bunch of touches.”

There is certainly plenty of truth to McVay’s comments. Gurley and Elliott are widely considered two of the league’s premier workhorse backs thanks to their versatile skill sets.

Not only are they efficient runners, but they are also capable of catching balls out of the backfield and helping with pass protection. Both teams will undoubtedly be focused on finding ways to contain the other.

It is easy to see why there is plenty of hype surrounding the matchup between Gurley and Elliott. Their stat lines could very well determine which team advances to the NFC Championship.

]]>http://ramsnation.com/five-and-one-rams-vs-cowboys-2019-nfl-divisional-round-game-preview/2019/01/12/feed/0Rams News: Sean McVay ‘Too Young’ To Have Coaching Tree, But Calls It ‘Humbling’http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-too-young-to-have-coaching-tree-but-calls-it-humbling/2019/01/09/
http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-too-young-to-have-coaching-tree-but-calls-it-humbling/2019/01/09/#respondWed, 09 Jan 2019 20:00:20 +0000http://ramsnation.com/?p=271036Although Sean McVay has only been the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams for two seasons, his presence around the league can already be felt. McVay has been tied to two of the more notable hirings in the league with Matt LaFleur joining the Green Bay Packers and Kliff...

]]>Although Sean McVay has only been the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams for two seasons, his presence around the league can already be felt.

McVay has been tied to two of the more notable hirings in the league with Matt LaFleur joining the Green Bay Packers and Kliff Kingsbury joining with the Arizona Cardinals. It now appears those with any resemblance to him now have a legitimate chance to become a head coach in the NFL.

McVay’s success in Los Angeles has seemingly started a new trend of teams bringing in more young, offensive-minded coaches. The hiring of LaFleur and Kingsbury have started to solidify the roots of his rapidly-growing coaching tree.

“I’m too young to have a coaching tree,” McVay said. “It’s certainly humbling and flattering. But, I think like anything else, it’s a reflection of everybody that’s been a part of this. That’s what you love so much about football. But, I would say this: I’m put in a better position to succeed because you learn about how to listen, learn and then you lead based on the people that are around you here. That’s why you feel good about it.

“I think more than anything, it’s really the Rams success that we’ve had. If there’s one thing that you do realize over the last couple years is that, this is a product of great people around you.”

McVay’s comments should come as no surprise since he has become notorious for deflecting the praise he receives for the Rams’ success over the last two seasons. The prospect of him taking any kind of credit for the recent hirings is extremely far-fetched.

Despite McVay’s modesty, there is no denying that he has taken the league by storm with his youthful exuberance and genius-level football intellect. The proof that he is the blueprint of today’s NFL head coach can be seen in the Cardinals’ press release when just being ‘his friend’ gave credence to their hiring of Kingsbury.

]]>http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-too-young-to-have-coaching-tree-but-calls-it-humbling/2019/01/09/feed/0Rams News: Sean McVay Believes Cowboys Will Be ‘Really Tough Challenge’http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-believes-cowboys-will-be-really-tough-challenge/2019/01/08/
http://ramsnation.com/rams-news-sean-mcvay-believes-cowboys-will-be-really-tough-challenge/2019/01/08/#respondTue, 08 Jan 2019 17:00:42 +0000http://ramsnation.com/?p=271030The Los Angeles Rams are set to host the Dallas Cowboys following the latter’s victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round. It is no secret the Cowboys managed to catch fire down the final stretch of the 2018 NFL season. Their momentum has now carried over into...

“When you put the tape on, you see really impressive – in all three phases, I think they’re very well coached,” McVay said. “They’ve got a lot of team speed. They’re physical on both fronts. Coach (Jason) Garrett does an excellent job. These guys have been playing really good football throughout the year. I think they’re battle-tested and it’s going to be a really tough challenge for us.”

There is certainly plenty of truth to McVay’s comments. Despite their shortcomings under center, they have made up for it with a physical run game that is backed by a formidable defense on the other side of the ball.

McVay’s biggest concern will be trying to find a way to exploit a Cowboys defense that has already shut down some of the NFL’s most high-powered offenses. Not only do they boast one of the more elite front-sevens in the league, but they have also managed to tighten things up over the top in the secondary.

McVay also expressed his concern for trying to contain Ezekiel Elliott, who managed to secure his second rushing title in three seasons. Head coach Jason Garrett’s decision to rest Elliott in the season finale did wonders for him in the Wild Card round after he finished with 169 yards and a touchdown on 30 touches.

]]>The Los Angeles Rams offense was shut down by the Chicago Bears in Week 14. Head coach Sean McVay elaborated on why they decided to stray away from Todd Gurley during the game.

Gurley was virtually non-existent all evening. McVay attributed his modest role to Chicago’s defense loading the box, according to Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire:

“They were playing a lot of base defense to 11 [personnel] and then got into some structures where they were basically playing six guys at the line of scrimmage,” McVay said in his press conference. “We felt like the best way to be able to move the football was going to be throwing it. clearly, we’ll go back, look at the tape, I’ll look at myself critically and make sure that I learn from a lot of the bad decisions that I did make for us. Whatever I was deciding on tonight clearly wasn’t putting our players in good spots.”

It appears McVay was hoping to take advantage of the lack of coverage on the outside. Unfortunately, his attempts were thwarted by the Bears formidable defensive front. The secondary was able to hold out just long enough for their combination of bonafide pass-rushers to get to Jared Goff. As a result, the offense endured their worst outing of the 2018 NFL season.

Gurley finished with just 28 yards on 11 carries while hauling in three receptions for 30 yards. Meanwhile, Goff completed 20-of-44 passes for 180 yards and four interceptions. Perhaps even more disappointing is that the defense did a tremendous job of putting the offense in position to score after recording three interceptions. However, they could not get anything going and wound up settling for field goals.

If there is a silver lining, it is the Rams are capable of putting on a complete performance. Their special teams are consistently top-notch. If the offense and defense can get on the same page through the playoffs, they will undoubtedly be a formidable contender.